Gaibandha: Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, MP, on Sunday said the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, would always stay beside the flood affected people of the country.

“The people who lost their houses due to river erosion, the government would rehabilitate them through building houses with corrugated iron (CI) sheet and cash money”, he said.

Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said this while addressing a special meeting of district disaster management committee organized by district administration at the conference room of district collectorate building here on Sunday at 1.30 pm as the chief guest.

Secretary of the ministry M. Shah Kamal was present at the event as the special guest while DC Goutam Chanda Pal presided over the ceremony and made a presentation on the flood situation here and relief distribution activity through multimedia projector.

The government would continue the relief distribution activity to the flood affected and river eroded people until the situation comes under control, the minister added.

A total of 200 flood shelter centres would be built in 17 districts including Gaibandha of the country; he said adding that an initiative had been taken to build 3- storied shelter centres in every union along the Brahmaputra river basin where domestic animals would be kept at ground floor, female would stay at first floor and male at second floor.

The minister also urged all to work together with the spirit of the Liberation War and help the government to build Sonar Bangla.

The minister allocated 500 tonnes of rice as general relief and TK 10 lakh for flood victims and 500 bundles of CI sheet and TK 15 lakh for people who lost homes due to river erosion.

Earlier, the minister exchanged view with civil surgeon, executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Roads and Highways Department, deputy director of local government section, chief executive officer of Zila Parishad, district relief and rehabilitation officer, district livestock officer, district fisheries officer and district women affairs officer.

Later, the minister went to Char Kabilpur under Urya union of Fulchhari upazila and distributed relief materials including rice, pulse, salt, and sugar to 600 flood victims as the chief guest.